Fintan Magee Recalls the 2011 Brisbane Floods in “Water World”

Brisbane based Fintan Magee, featured on our blog, became a part of his hometown’s graffiti culture in his early teens, but his strong interest in classical painting made him change his creative output. Even as a student, his visual language was highly recognizable. He focused on figurative works that explore the depth of human emotions and existential topics in contemporary society. After years of mural painting in and around his homeland, Magee slowly built his international resume, and his surrealist figurative murals can be found around the globe. The images in his large scale murals, paper, and canvas works depict our everyday being through photo-realistic details, juxtaposed with less detailed, sometimes expressive, elements.

Covering the relationship between man and nature, Magee’s paintings often tell stories of struggle, loss, migration, conflict, with an individual and global state of mind. His upcoming solo show, “Water World”, which opens on December 4th at Blackwoods Gallery in Melbourne, revolves around the 2011 floods in Brisbane. His 13 new paintings, process drawings, sculptures, installation and mural share his experience and view of these disastrous events, and address environmental issues on a global scale. Images of people saving their dearest and most precious in the aftermath of the disaster capture intense emotions of uncertainty as well as man’s strong will to overcome such circumstances. By showing regular, every day young people, including himself, facing these unfortunate scenarios, Magee stands up for people worldwide affected by climate change, wars, and other forms of forced displacement. “Water World” will be his first solo show in 2 years and it will stay on view until December 13th, 2015.